‘This should keep the World Fucker busy.’ Solus thought. ‘I don’t know why no one tried to imprint me yet, but I’m even more surprised the Yggdrasill hasn’t sent someone after Lith either.
‘If they did and more Chroniclers died, I would have noticed the tremors. If something happened to Lith, I bet everything I don’t have that the Tree would throw it in my face.’
As if in answer to her thoughts, a small energy dome nailed the stone ring to the wooden floor while the door of her cell opened. The bark of the World Tree shifted into a rectangular opening, letting inside the first light in two days and a female elf.
‘I see.’ Solus studied the newcomer’s deep violet core and lithe figure. ‘The Yggdrasil must have chosen her as my “host” if they revealed the secret of the violet core to her.
‘The Tree must have waited until she got accustomed to her new powers before making another attempt at imprinting me.’
Dawn had taught Solus that it was an ancient tradition of living legacies to always bond with someone of their same gender. This way, there was no risk of falling in love with their host as had happened to Dawn herself.
‘The only question is: why a regular elf instead of a Chronicler?’ The woman wielded a wand made of Yggdrasill wood but there was no trace of the World Tree’s energy signature inside her body. ‘The wand can help her with her focus, but no more than my Sage Staff.’
“It is done, Elphyn Menadion.” The female elf’s voice was cold yet melodious. “Lith Verhen is dead. I, Nes’hiah Lamarr, will be your next host.”
“Tell me another.” Solus laughed at her. “If that’s true, show me his corpse or at least his head.”
“The wounds the Zouwu inflicted upon him were so dire that Verhen turned into an Abomination. There’s no corpse left.” The elf’s left eye squinted lightly in annoyance.
“Really?” Solus gasped, her voice oozing mockery and sarcasm. “How awfully convenient for you. Do you really think I’m that stupid? At this point, why not tell me that you are Lith reincarnated in a woman’s body? It’s just as believable as your story.”
“Read it for yourself, if you don’t believe me.” Nes’hiah threw a communication amulet open on the page of the Royal broadcast.
Solus didn’t miss how details like the date and the circumstances of the meeting with Agra had been redacted.
“Nice try. Here says he has gone Abomination but not when it happened. For all I know, this message has just been released and you’ve spun your bullshit around it.”
“It proves that I told you the truth, human!” The Librarian snarled. “Don’t expect to receive other news of Verhen’s death because we’ve killed him in secret. We couldn’t afford to leave witnesses that might lead back to us.”
“I don’t believe a word you say.” Solus retorted. “Our bond may be broken, but if anything happened to Lith, I’d know it. He’s still alive and I won’t trust anything but my gut until you give me irrefutable proof I’m wrong.”
“Fine! I hoped that we might introduce ourselves in a more civilized manner but you are forcing my hand.” Nes’hiah waved the wooden wand and the energy dome collapsed on the stone ring, trapping it in a vise.
“That’s a sure way to gain my trust. Blaming your cruelty on the victim.” Solus grunted, using just enough energy to resist the pressure and boost the tower’s density.
“I don’t need your trust.” The elf replied. “I only need your compliance. Try anything funny and the next time it will be much worse.”
She walked in front of the ring, making it levitate at her chest level without removing the barrier. Then, another flick of her wand removed the enchanted restraint and Nes’hiah moved to grab the ring.
Solus reacted by using Gravity Fusion to increase her already considerable mass and fall quickly, materializing only her right arm to punch at the elf in a cross counter.
Nes’hiah had just gained the deep violet, but that along with the help of the World Tree was enough to read the attack and sidestep it. She grabbed the ring and imprinted it before Solus could react.
‘Stop resisting me!’ The order resounded through their mind link as her telepathic presence violated Solus’ mind.
The excess gravity disappeared and Nes’hiah looked at the small ring resting on the palm of her right hand.
‘That’s better.’ She smiled, proud of the praises her master was showering her with. ‘Now be still and quiet until I give you permission.’
The Tree had worded the order so that there was no loophole Solus might exploit.
A third wave of the wand opened the wood of the floor, giving the tower access to the ground below.
‘Now, summon the tower.’ Nes’hiah dropped the ring and the moment it connected with the world energy, it grew in size and power. ‘Come to me, Elphyn Menadion.’
Solus walked through the tower’s door wearing one of her favorite day dresses. Her hands were clenched and her face a mask of fury, but she wielded no weapon and remained still.
‘Kneel!’ Solus ordered.
The moment Nes’hiah approached, Solus grabbed her hand, using physical contact and violence to reinforce the mental command. The Librarian and the Tree were caught by surprise, even more because the tower solely boosted Solus’ prowess.
Nes’hiah felt her legs wobble but her willpower coupled with the direct link with the Yggdrasil allowed her to resist.
Her wrist, however, wasn’t so lucky. Solus’ grip was akin to a compactor and she took her time returning the pressure Nes’hiah had inflicted on her.
“Where’s your arrogance now, bitch?” A single slap spread the elf’s nose all over her face and her teeth on the ground. “Come one, order me around some more.”
‘I forbid you to move!’ Nes’hiah yelled telepathically, her mouth too damaged and her throat too filled with blood to speak.
‘And I forbid myself to give a shit about what you want!’ Solus replied, using the Mental Barricade technique that Dawn had taught her to disregard the orders of her “master”.
‘Enough!’ The Yggdrasil was as confused as his loyal Librarian, but unlike her, pain didn’t cloud their judgment.
The Tree conjured a powerful array that restrained Solus and forced her to collapse to the ground.
“I decide when it’s enough!” Solus struggled with all her strength, slowly standing up to the power of the Yggdrasil.
The worst part was that the more the World Tree increased the energy output of the array, the more Nes’hiah bled. The Yggdrasill could feel her agony through the wooden wand.
“Let me guess, you didn’t know about this, did you?” Solus stood defiant. “Prime Engine, maximum overdrive!”
‘No!’ The World Tree froze in horror as the right side of the tower shapeshifted into a cannon-wielding arm. ‘No, no, no!’
“Fire in the Tree!” Solus ran inside the tower to escape the blast and carried the Librarian with her. “I’m going to suck you dry as long as I can, ‘master’.”
The moment the door was closed, the colossal rail gun fired upwards.
